Though the scorching season tends to wilt sophistication, these 50 cooling ideas—from icy getaways and glacial cocktails to the ultimate white bikini—will help you beat the odds

Pitch a Playhouse

Pitch a Playhouse

This beckoning tent lets children colonize some shade when they're playing in the backyard. Chic parents will like the bold, uncutesy cotton-canvas print, with its stylistic nods to the "Sixties pop artists who I love so much," said Brooklyn textile designer Ellen Van Dusen. Kids will appreciate the ability to pop their heads, gopher-like, through triangular openings or keep their grown ups outside with flaps that tie. Dusen Dusen Playhouse by the Land of Nod, $159, landofnod.com —Michael Tortorello

Pop in the Name of Love

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Pop in the Name of Love

With the exception of doling out scoops from a pint of ice cream, it's hard to find a dessert as easy to prepare as an ice pop. Just pour in your delicious liquid of choice, freeze and enjoy. And yet, many plastic molds are so flimsy you'll be losing your cool over cracks and leaks before you even make it to July Fourth. Not so this stainless-steel version from Onyx, as sturdy as it is handsome. And because each pop sets individually, there's no need to thaw collectively; you can grab and go as you please. Onyx Paddle Pop Mold, $45, food52.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Shift Into Slides

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Shift Into Slides

Inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places—even a malodorous high-school locker room. Designer Tomas Maier has rescued the pedestrian rubber slide from the domain of foul-mouthed adolescents, aerosol deodorant and hazing rituals, and revamped it in striped leather in the breezy palette of the Bahamian flag. While maintaining the easy access of the original athletic pairs, these slip-ons radiate an aplomb worthy of a poolside soiree or an al fresco tacos dinner with other former teens. Slides, $450, Tomas Maier, 212-988-8686

Savor the Salad Days

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Savor the Salad Days

It started as a lark: a Kickstarter campaign with "I'm making potato salad" as its mission statement. Zack Brown, who masterminded this scheme, figured he'd get $10 to cover his grocery bill. But his online plea struck a chord, and now—after raising $55,492 and organizing the PotatoStock festival in Columbus, Ohio—Mr. Brown is back with "The Peace, Love & Potato Salad Cookbook" (Spring House Press, $17). Has he succeeded in making potato salad cool? This fridge-friendly staple always has been, as the 24 recipes in the book—from the mayo-based classic to an olive, artichoke and feta version—demonstrate decisively.

Get Hosed

Get Hosed

Too dignified to run, shrieking, through the sprinkler? Take a proper cold shower under the industrial-cool Aquart, by Seletti, which hooks up to the garden hose. The crook-necked copper pipe was derived from downspouts, said creative director Stefano Seletti; a single valve wheel, in plumber red, controls the flow of water. The 7½-foot shower can be set up wherever you put the movable cement base—even within a swimsuit-optional grove of trees. Aquart outdoor shower, $324, shophorne.com —Michael Tortorello

Elevate Your Crisper

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Elevate Your Crisper

Even as you're wilting in the heat, the farmers'-market bounty you serve in this naturally ingenious bowl—a Calacatta marble design that holds a chill for hours after leaving the icebox—will remain the life of the party. Strawberries look especially dramatic against the snowy stone, noted designer Kelly Wearstler. Bonus: If you squint, the perforated edge evokes the billowy ease of an eyelet skirt. Precision Bowl, $1,350, kellywearstler.com —Liz Logan

Break a Sweat

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Break a Sweat

Inspired by ancient Romans’ use of the chilling properties of terra cotta, this one-liter (33.8 oz.) carafe remains cold ice-free. Run it under a tap for a minute, and the outside of the matte-glazed vessel absorbs water. As that evaporates, its change of state from liquid to gas lowers the temperature of the carafe (the same way perspiration cools humans). Pre-chilled drinks stay cold for hours, and tepid liquid gets 40% colder. Simon Stevens Cooling Ceramics Carafe by Magisso, $70, abode-newyork.com —Jackie Cooperman

Set Sail

Set Sail

Landlocked? Yachtless? No worries. On windy days, the swaths of shading fabric that festoon the frame of Roche Bobois’s new outdoor settee replicate the summery sound of rippling sails. Curl up on cushions upholstered in waterproof fabric, and listen to the virtually indestructible polyester “sail” as it luffs against the acacia-wood frame. Who needs all that hoisting? SAGA Outdoor Cocoon by Christophe Delcourt, from $15,165, Roche Bobois, 212-889-5304 —Jackie Cooperman

Jump Into a Lake

Stevin Tuchiwsky

Jump Into a Lake

While outdoorsy sorts converge on Montana’s Glacier National Park this summer, slip across the border and take a hike in Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park. Combined, Glacier and Waterton form an “international peace park,” but the latter is usually the more peaceful of the two. Waterton sees a fraction of Glacier’s visitors, though it’s no less blessed with photogenic peaks, shady mountain valleys, glacial lakes and streams of snowmelt. The 11-mile round-trip hike to Crypt Lake starts with a 15-minute ferry ride across Upper Waterton Lake (above) that takes you to the trailhead at Crypt Landing. From there things heat up, but any sweat you work up scrambling along rock walls will be quickly doused by the spray of waterfalls along the trail or a brisk-but-triumphant dip in the crystalline waters of Crypt Lake at the summit. mywaterton.ca —Brigid Mander

Feel the Wind in Your Hair

Feel the Wind in Your Hair

If you want to keep your brains from boiling while you’re biking country roads, zipping down mountains and scaring boardwalk tourists out of the way this summer, don the Mixino. It has a vented design with 39 openings to maximize airflow, as well as heat-regulating and antibacterial padding. The graphene nanofiber-infused rollcage, meanwhile, protects your tender cranium but keeps the helmet surprisingly lightweight. $290, catlike.us —Keith Blanchard

Peter Mayle's Plan to Outwit the Heat

Peter Mayle's Plan to Outwit the Heat

I am fortunate enough to live in a climate that offers 300 days of sunshine a year. However, there are two months, July and August, during which I make a few small changes in my daily routine. I try to avoid driving. The roads are too busy, parking is impossible and the heat makes drivers suicidally bad-tempered. I take a siesta every day after lunch. And I make sure I have enough chilled rosé to get me through.” —Peter Mayle, Provence-based author of “The Diamond Caper” (Vintage, $15)

Party Like a (Melon) Baller

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Party Like a (Melon) Baller

Booze-infused watermelon not out-there enough for you? Add some snap, crackle and pop

File this under melon maximalism: At Korean BBQ restaurant Hanjip, in Los Angeles, the Watermelon Soju “cocktail”—refreshing melon balls drenched in the vodka-like Korean spirit that’s distilled from rice—comes topped with a Day-Glo confetti of breakfast cereal and Pop Rocks candy. At the restaurant, chef Chris Oh serves it in a hollowed-out watermelon half, inviting customers to stick a straw directly into the fruit and slurp away. Here’s how to pull off the concept at your next patio party: Use a melon baller to scoop out 7-8 rounds of ripe, juicy watermelon flesh into a short glass and give them a thorough dousing of soju—as much as you like (or think your guests can handle). Let the melon balls soak in the liquor a while—10 minutes, say, or as long as overnight—to allow the soju and fruit juices to meld. Then sprinkle the melon balls with Fruity Pebbles cereal and Pop Rocks candy. Presented with the Pop Rocks crackling, it’s like fireworks in a glass. —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Bare It, Necessarily

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Bare It, Necessarily

A white bikini may be the most iconic swimsuit ever, up there with the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny yellow polka-dot variety. But it’s not foolproof: If you’d rather channel Ursula Andress in “Dr. No” (looking deadly cool) than Annette Funicello in “Muscle Beach Party” (looking trapped in a fishing net), consider this minimalist beauty from Her by Sydney-based swimwear designer Tuyen Nguyen. It’s sexy but not overtly so, with comfy thick straps, bust darts that gently enhance curves and modest bottom coverage—which means, said Ms. Nguyen, you can swim, frug or go snorkeling in Sydney’s Gordons Bay with the Bond in your life and maintain your sang-froid. Her Swim Bikini, $155, herthelabel.com

Clip On Anonymity

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Clip On Anonymity

Like Clark Kent slipping into a phone booth to morph into Superman, you can transform your prescription glasses into all-powerful, sun-shielding shades with a pair of sunglass clips—and cloud yourself in enigma, too. While the thick, hardware-heavy clips of the past could leave you looking like a nerdy villain, today’s lighter, stripped-down options from Garrett Leight, Warby Parker and Oliver Peoples feel less cumbersome while protecting your eyes from bad-guy UV rays, a plus when your face is sweaty and slippery. Wilson Frame, $310, and Clip, $120, garrettleight.com

Chill in Chile

Chill in Chile

Ditch summer entirely and head to the Southern Hemisphere, deep in the throes of austral winter. An overnight flight to Santiago, Chile, plus a two-hour drive will land you high in the Andes at Portillo ski resort, one of the country’s top winter draws. The Grand Hotel Portillo, looking spruce after a major makeover, abuts a frozen lake and offers ski lifts to terrain that ranges from scenic groomed runs to extreme couloirs. If you want to up the stakes, book a heli-skiing trip. Après-ski, slump gratefully into the hotel’s lakeside hot tubs or pool—it may the only time you’ll appreciate a heated swim in August. From $2,150 a week, skiportillo.com —Brigid Mander

Michael Kors's Plan to Outwit the Heat

Michael Kors's Plan to Outwit the Heat

"I’m going to the South Pacific for my birthday in August and will cool down in my favorite way: by jumping off a boat into the water in black board shorts. (For anyone still roasting in a city, I suggest wearing chambray instead of denim.) Until I go away, I’ll stay cool in my usual ways: sipping Ketel on the rocks, eating lobster salad and catching up on films in ice-cold movie theaters.” —Fashion designer Michael Kors, who opens his largest European flagship in London next week

Brew Seasonal Beans

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Brew Seasonal Beans

Down South, even coffee lovers see the appeal of a cold beverage come summer. Last month, the java gurus at North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee launched a limited-edition, lighter, brighter blend designed expressly for making iced coffee. They endorse the Japanese-style technique—flash-brew hot coffee, then rapidly chill it over ice—to maximize the particular flavor profiles in this combination of beans from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia, and Embu, Kenya. But you can go ahead and cold-brew it, if you like, or even serve it hot (anywhere but North Carolina in July). Cold Hearted Blend, $18 for 12 ounces, counterculturecoffee.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Meet Your Biggest Fan

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Meet Your Biggest Fan

There’s nothing fancy or high-tech about Vornado’s retro VFAN Sr. Pedestal fan: durable metal construction (and a five-year warranty), slightly adjustable height, one color, no remote control. But it’ll take you right back to the good old days of chilling together as a family, in one room, before central A.C. ruined everything. Three speed settings let you choose between mildly breezy and Dorothy-get-in-the-cellar. $210, vornado.com —Keith Blanchard

Go to Summer Camp

James Chandler (canoe)

Go to Summer Camp

Dig out the lanyards and dust off the canoes—summer camp is back, and this time it’s only for people old enough to sew on their own name labels. Ventures across the country are inviting adult guests to relive their childhood summers. Some are actual full-service camps like Club Getaway in Kent, Conn., whose schedules combine youthful diversions such as Slip ’N Slides and floating trampolines with grown-up perks like lobster dinners and a nightclub (from $414 a weekend a person for a four-person cabin, clubgetaway.com). Others take a low-key approach, like the harborfront Summercamp Oak Bluffs Hotel on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., which embraces a camp vibe with a rec hall, a canteen and Twister tournaments but lets visitors plan their own activities, from fishing excursions to sailing trips (from $149 a night, summercamphotel.com). In Manchester, Vt., Kimpton’s Taconic Hotel recently launched a three-day adult summer camp, held over two weekends this summer. There, “campers” can tube down the Battenkill River, go fly-fishing, or happily regress in one of the area’s several swimming holes—before reclaiming the more mature comforts (minibar, anyone?) of a boutique hotel (from $2,100 for two for the camp weekend, taconichotel.com). —Georgia Freedman

Party in the Back

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Party in the Back

With the Saharan sun beating down on them, British troops stationed in Africa during World War II ingeniously added neck-protecting back flaps to their pith helmets. While the Brits’ signature (but highly dorky) headgear would look out of place on a minigolf course in 2016, this nape-saving innovation from J. Crew performs the same shade-providing service but does so slightly more fashionably. The best part? The flap on this UPF 50-rated nylon cap can be rolled up come sunset, ensuring you’ll look like any other sunburn-free dude. Sun-Safe Baseball Cap, $30, jcrew.com

Sun-seek Chicly

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Sun-seek Chicly

When you’re at the beach, forgo the matronly, if sensible, caftan for a cool-girl coverup by buzzy Israeli brand Dodo Bar Or. “Each piece has a personal wink, be it patterns or pompoms,” said designer Dorit Bar Or. Her cotton dress with its tassel trim will take you from shore to Sangria-sipping or even a club—just add strappy sandals and a few gold bangles. Why should your bikini have all the fun? Mandy Dress, $250, 7onlocust.com —Barbara Stepko

Peruse in a Pool

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Peruse in a Pool

Enjoying an e-book by the side of the pool is so last year. It’s time to take your electronic reads into the pool. The Satechi Waterproof Kindle Paperwhite Case will save your Kindle (any current model, not just the Paperwhite) from a watery doom. Read “Wide Sargasso Sea” in the actual sea, or take “The Fountainhead” into a fountain; a clear, touch-sensitive film lets you use your device normally even if you accidentally submerge. (Just don’t try going 20,000 leagues under the sea; the IPX-8 certified waterproof protection is only good to depths of 20 feet.) Best of all: The whole unit floats, allowing for easy retrieval should you get so immersed in your novel that you capsize your pool lounger in the deep end. $25, satechi.net —Keith Blanchard

Adopt a Rosy Outlook

Adopt a Rosy Outlook

Lower your body temperature and raise the Kir Royale to a new level by adding a touch of Giffard Black Rose to cold Champagne. Infused with Moroccan Rosa Damascena rose petals, this liqueur adds a floral note to all sorts of summery refreshers. Mixed with lemon bitters, mandarin orange soda and Prosecco, it makes bartender Jorge Guzman’s signature cocktail at Gardënia in New York. Bonus: Proceeds from each bottle go to support breast cancer research and education. $34, brooklynwine-exchange.com—Aleksandra Crapanzano

Chew on This

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Chew on This

At its best, the Japanese rice cake mochi is delicately chewy and subtly sweet; filled with ice cream, it’s even better. But the bland, leathery versions found at many supermarkets left Ken Gordon cold. So he founded Mochidoki and came up with an improved way to make mochi—in small batches with fresh ingredients and a melt-in-your-mouth rice wrapper. New travel-inspired flavors have arrived for summer, including passion fruit, lychee colada and Thai iced tea. $10 for a four-pack, mochidoki.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Conjure Up a Cocktail

Lauren Coleman

Conjure Up a Cocktail

No one wants a lukewarm martini,” said St. John Frizell of Fort Defiance bar in Brooklyn, who designed this frostiness-promoting bar cart at the behest of Swiss manufacturer USM. It invited Mr. Frizell and other award-winning mixologists to craft their ideal carts with the powder-coated steel panels and chrome tubes that comprise the company’s modular furniture-building system. Mr. Frizell’s entry features a perforated metal shelf—large enough for about two dozen glasses—right above a built-in ice drawer to chill glassware—all part of his worthy crusade against tepid tipples. $5,466, USM Modular Furniture, 212-371-1230 —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Tuck Into Lima

Central Restaurante

Tuck Into Lima

A tour of South America’s culinary capital offers a heat-evading escape

Peru’s capital may be one of the world’s hottest food destinations, but thanks to a unique microclimate, Lima is also among South America’s most temperate spots (and, never forget, summer in North America is winter there). For a food-focused tour, let Lima-based travel company Aracari (aracari.com) tailor-make an itinerary of the city’s most appetite-whetting stops. You might, for instance, sample Peruvian avant-garde cuisine at Central restaurant, a fixture on “best on Earth” lists. Or take Aracari’s Urban Eats tour to visit food markets and nibble your way through small plates like causa (a terrine of mashed potatoes and meat spiced with fresh ajiamarillo chiles), breads made with local grains, and escabeche (fish marinated in vinegar). Icify your innards with a pisco sour, a maracuya sour made with passion fruit or a chicano, a mix of ginger ale and pisco infused with lemongrass or ginger. And lastly, head to El Mercado, a cevicheria run by one of Lima’s star chefs, Rafael Osterling, to learn to make a range of chilly ceviches, from sole mixed with fried calamari and topped with sweet potato and corn, to black scallops and sea urchin—a skill that will help you defy that rude August heat once you’re back home. —Georgia Freedman

Get Saucy

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Get Saucy

Counterintuitively, spicy foods have been shown to cool the body down. So consider this Spicy Miso Sauce edible air conditioning. It’s the latest in the line of Gochujang condiments from Louisville-based chef Edward Lee and Korean brand Chung Jung One. Slather the mildly hot, umami-sweet blend of chilies and savory miso on Korean-style kalbi (grilled marinated short ribs) and wrap in a romaine leaf. Or blend into ground beef for an intensely tasty burger. The sauce makes a delicious cookout condiment, too. $9 for two 7½-ounce bottles, gochujangsauce.com—Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Tyler Kord's Plan to Outwit the Heat

Tyler Kord's Plan to Outwit the Heat

"I intend to stay cool this summer by spending as much time as possible in my air-conditioned bedroom reading Rumaan Alam’s novel ‘Rich and Pretty’—it’s not super long, but I read super slow—when I’m not on the deck at Clemente’s Maryland Crab House in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, eating raw clams while staring at the water.” —Tyler Kord, chef/partner of No. 7 Sub in New York and author of “A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches” (Clarkson Potter, $23)

Take Cover at the BBQ

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Take Cover at the BBQ

No one likes waking up to lobster-claw-red arms after a day grilling burgers (except perhaps a lobster). Sunscreen helps, but an open-weave linen coverup is wisdom itself—and a breezy alternative to a denim shirt sure to cook you like a casserole. Camoshita Shirt, $325, Magasin, 213-458-8424

Catch a Light Wind

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Catch a Light Wind

Whether you’re reading a summer novel or writing one, you don’t need heat of day or dark of night distracting you from the task. Now you can outsmart both, with this desk contraption that pairs a three-speed, silent, bladeless fan with an LED light. Touch-sensitive controls adjust the brightness of the unit’s strip of 32 LEDs, which can be twisted and tipped in nearly any direction via a flexible gooseneck. No more excuses—stop fiddling with your new light and finish that book! AirLight Desk Lamp with Bladeless Cooling Fan, $60, turcomusa.com —Keith Blanchard

Five Essential Places to Revel in the American Tiki-Bar Revival

Clayton Hauck (bar)

Five Essential Places to Revel in the American Tiki-Bar Revival

Archipelago // Washington, D.C.
This may be the only bar that features a shrine to Tom Selleck. Surf tunes, bar stools carved like tiki gods, and old Elvis and Don Ho records on the wall round out the tongue-in-cheek tiki vibe, but make no mistake: The drinks are serious business. On balmy days, you’ll want to have your “Pineapple of Hospitality”—a rum drink for two served in a pineapple shell—outside on the relaxed corner patio. archipelagobardc.comBeachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 // New Orleans
Located inside the French Quarter’s Bienville House hotel, Latitude 29 is like many a great New Orleans bar in that it feels like it’s from another era—the mid-20th-century, in this case. Instead of a sazerac, however, you’ll want one of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s new tiki-creations such as a Paniolo: Kentucky bourbon with macadamia-nut liqueur. latitude29nola.comLost Lake // Chicago
This is what a glamorous tiki bar in 1930s Hollywood must have felt like, save for the all-too-hip clientele drawn from the Logan Square neighborhood. After a few rum-heavy creations—such as the Stranger in Paradise made with a potent combination of rhum agricole, tequila and absinthe—you may start picturing the palm leaf wallpaper in your own home. lostlaketiki.comSmuggler’s Cove // San Francisco
The exterior looks like a tax office, but on the inside, it’s a full-on pirate fantasy—a babbling brook, a giant anchor, lots of skulls and one of the most extensive rum collections in America. Opened in 2009, owner Martin Cate’s bar has been the nexus of the country’s tiki revival, and his new book, named after the bar, is just as essential for the tiki connoisseur. smugglerscovesf.comTiki Tabu // New York
This tiki pop-up watering hole on the rooftop of the SIXTY Lower East Side hotel has playfully stylish décor by designer Misha Kahn and incredible downtown views. But hurry. It closes at the end of September. sixtyhotels.com/lower-east-side —Kevin Sintumuang

Exercise No Restraint

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Exercise No Restraint

The dreary trade-off used to be: If you have dessert, you gotta exercise. The SoftShell Ice Cream Ball sweetens the proposition, by letting you concoct your own creamy confection with a light workout that helps offset the calories. Just add cream, sugar and favored flavorings to one half of this dishwasher-safe, soccer-ball-size plaything, and ice and rock salt to the other half. Then kick or toss for 20 minutes to make your treat. Ample openings grant easy access when adding (or secretly sampling) ingredients. $40, crateandbarrel.com —Keith Blanchard

Ford Norway’s Fjords

Hurtigruten

Ford Norway’s Fjords

For those who worship the sun but not the heat, northern Norway, nudging into the Arctic Circle, offers round-the-clock daylight in summer, glaciers and loads of temperate fjords. What new: more options for exploring the region by sea. On the luxury end, Viking Cruises now voyages up the Norwegian coastline with all balconied cabins (from $6,299 a person for a 15-day cruise in 2017, vikingcruises.com). To snoop around like a local, book passage on a Hurtigruten ship (above). The company began as a ferry service to isolated towns, and its 12-day Classic Roundtrip Voyage (from $2,704 a person in 2017, hurtigruten.us) still travels to 34 ports. Space permitting, you can hop off for days at a time in case a coastal berg with a name like Molde entices you to stay until the sun finally sets. —Georgia Freedman

Bling Out Your Beverages

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Bling Out Your Beverages

Why settle for ice cubes shaped like mundane lumps when they can be faceted like priceless diamonds? Water frozen in these gemstone-shaped silicone molds is extra-dazzling in colored drinks such as scotch or cola, and thanks to the giant cubes’ significant volume—1.2 ounces each—they melt slowly. One drawback? Guests will so enjoy rattling these baubles in their glasses, you may have to crank the music to a deafening roar. Iced Out Diamond Ice Cube Tray, $14, urbanoutfitters.com —Jackie Cooperman

Jake Knapp's Plan to Outwit the Heat

Jake Knapp's Plan to Outwit the Heat

“One way I beat the heat is lowering my stress level by taking email and social media off my phone. I’ve been doing it for a few years now. I tell people to text me if they need to reach me quickly. It’s such a relief to have all that stuff off!” —Jake Knapp, Design Partner at Google Ventures and author of “Sprint” (Simon & Schuster, $28)

Look Sharp in Hopsack

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Look Sharp in Hopsack

High summer, for all its Tanqueray & Tonic charms, is not that compatible with sports coats. Throw on a crisp wool jacket and you’ll be drenched by lunchtime; go with a breathable linen blazer and it will soon rival a shar pei puppy for achievement in wrinkliness. The smartest choice is a wool hopsack jacket, like this number from Japan’s Ring Jacket. Hopsack’s basket-weave construction lets air flow through the woven fibers, so you get the breathability of linen with the tailored élan of wool. Result: Neither you nor your coat will wilt as quickly. Cheers! Sport Coat, $1,250, thearmoury.com

Raft in the Desert

Josh Schutz, Get in the Wild

Raft in the Desert

Venturing into the desert at the height of summer might seem ill-advised, but there’s a persuasive reason to give it a go this year. After a century of obstruction, Utah’s stretch of the Green River is now fully open to paddling enthusiasts. The section from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell has long been blocked by Tusher Dam, but, as of this spring, a new diversion on the dam lets rafters and kayakers wend their way through the entire stretch. The Green flows past impressively rugged wilderness—think sculpted sandstone cliffs—that’s scrupulously protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Few commercial permits are granted per day to “manage a high probability of experiencing solitude,” so you’ll have the river virtually to yourself as you float and swim in silky-smooth water, still chilly from winter’s snowmelt. You aren’t required to travel with a guide, but if you lack your own raft or kayak, book a tour with Get In the Wild, a local outfitter. You can customize river trips to include time on land too though you may want to wait until the mercury dips to add in canyon hikes. From $100 a person for a half-day trip, getinthewild.com —Brigid Mander

Chill a Brewski

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Chill a Brewski

How to keep summery craft beer cool and frothy on the go? Try this sleek, 64-ounce, vacuum-insulated growler. Made of medical-grade stainless-steel, it’ll keep cold bevvies at their original temperature for up to 24 hours, thanks to a double-wall vacuum-insulation system and tight-sealing lid. Say it with us: “No more flat, warm brew.” Growler, $55, miir.com —Keith Blanchard

Swing It On Home

Swing It On Home

You can always stand sullenly in front of a box fan to catch a breeze. But why not generate your own breeze, slicing through the air on a rope swing? Casey Dzierlenga’s nostalgically rustic version features manila rope tied into modified hangman’s knots, copper-pipe aglets, and a hand-carved, white-oak wedge seat with a swooping keel. “It sort of has a nautical feel,” said Ms. Dzierlenga from her Hudson Valley woodworking studio. Tree sold separately. Dzierlenga F+U Carved Oak Tree Swing, $300, dzierlenga.com —Michael Tortorello

Roll Out a... Concrete Rug

Roll Out a... Concrete Rug

This concrete (yes, concrete) carpet appears as sumptuous as knotted silk but feels cool as stone under bare feet. German artist Amelie Marei Loellmann casts pigmented concrete around fabric, breaks the dried compound into tiny shards that are held together by the textile and then sands, polishes and engraves the surface with a diamond pattern. Just one-tenth of an inch thick, it can be rolled up when autumn’s arrival calls for a toastier rug. Concrete Carpet, 2½-by-5½ feet, about $5,543, 1stdibs —Liz Logan

Float Your Beat

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Float Your Beat

This portable Bluetooth speaker isn’t just waterproof; using the inflatable mini floatie that’s included, you can plop it (and the Weeknd) right into the pool or lake next to you. Roughly the size of a pancake, this cordless companion can play for nine hours per charge and operates on a 100-foot wireless radius. Generously sized volume controls on the top (those big plus and minus signs) allow for easy adjustments when fumbling with wet fingers. UE Roll 2, $100, ultimateears.com —Keith Blanchard

Plant a Wall

Plant a Wall

You probably can’t seed a rain forest on your backyard patio. But with this shade- and oxygen-producing living wall, you can try to counter the warming of your terrace’s microclimate. The treated-steel frame resembles a library stack—one where every book is “The Secret Life of Plants”—and the free-standing structure, which includes an integrated irrigation system, can be moved for optimal sun or shade, giving herbs, ivies, orchids and bulbs a chance to thrive. Paola Lenti Greenery Wall, about 64 inches tall, from $7,359, ddc, 212-685-0800 —Michael Tortorello

Take the Waters

La Mamounia

Take the Waters

At these three overseas spas, treatments are as cooling as they are pampering (and you get to say you’re ‘summering in Zurich’ or ‘Marrakesh’)

Bagni Vecchi, Bormio, ItalyTo escape the heat (and drama) of ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder used to flee to this mineral bath in the Italian Alps. The baths are now part of a sleek wellness center that offers umpteen ways to shave degrees off your temperature, including freezing plunge pools, buckets of icy water and a room full of ice chips for an invigorating skin scrub. Once refreshed, ensconce your blissfully shivering self at the Hotel Bagni Vecchi, adjacent to the baths. Day pass from about $47, bagnidibormio.itDolder Grand, Zurich, SwitzerlandThe Swiss take their snow seriously, even in summer. In the sprawling spa of the hilltop Dolder Grand hotel is a room modestly christened “Snow Paradise,” a faux igloo ornamented with icicles, twinkling lights and piles of snow for brisk rubdowns. If an igloo isn’t your idea of heaven, skip it and book an ice-crystal facial where serums are made from alpine plants and you’re massaged with chilled crystals. Day pass from about $260, thedoldergrand.comLa Mamounia, Marrakesh, MoroccoThis may be the land of steamy hammams, but this famed hotel’s spa also has tricks for keeping the dry, North African heat at bay. Among them: the roughly $93 Lightness Treatment, which includes a full-body massage that wraps up with the therapist tracing chilled stones over your legs and feet, said to boost circulation and energy. Even a routine swim in the spa’s Moorish-style indoor pool is sure to revive the most wilted traveler. Day pass about $50, mamounia.com —Brigid Mander

Cool Your Pooch

Cool Your Pooch

Does a hot day’s work chasing butterflies leave your dog panting in a heap on the floor? Time to elevate her options with this doggy daybed featuring heat-management foam developed for NASA. Result: She can hunt invisible rabbits and quiver that one leg in napping comfort. The bed’s microsuede cover can be removed and machine-washed, making upkeep a snap, while the cushion is topped with carbon-based fabric that helps absorbs odors. The bed is available in various sizes, from Yorkie-small to beagle-midsize. You can even add a monogram, for entitled purebreds. Outlast Dog Bed System, from $110, snoozerpetproducts.com —Keith Blanchard

Martyn Lawrence Bullard's Plan to Outwit the Heat

Martyn Lawrence Bullard's Plan to Outwit the Heat

"I’ll take club chairs from inside, slipcover them in outdoor fabric and put them under one of those wonderful collapsible cabanas you can buy. You can create your own little environment outside—with real, comfortable furniture—that keeps you out of the sun.” Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Designer and author of “Design and Decoration” (Rizzoli, $50)

Pack a Coolerful

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Pack a Coolerful

From Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery comes Beerito, a beachside brew tasty enough to swig au naturel, so spare the limes. Crisp lager yeast and a mix of lightly toasted German malts with a Colorado strain called Troubadour make for an earthy chew and refreshing snap.

Bottle a Fragrant Bouquet

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Bottle a Fragrant Bouquet

Chive blossoms are a fleeting wonder this time of year, as we head into high salad season. Snip them into pretty much anything and their delicate flavor—neither floral nor onion-y but gently suggestive of both—provides an apt alternative to bolder bulbs. Preserve the flowers’ essence as well as their season by infusing a handful in a jar of white-wine or rice vinegar for a couple of weeks—no cooking required. The pretty pink result will add depth to vinaigrettes for months to come. —Aleksandra Crapanzano